Voice device



April' 3o, 1929. A KONQFF -1,711,117

` VOICE DEVICE Filed May l0. 1923 ATTORES T Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

A NUNITED STATES N N 1,711,117 PATENT OFFICE. y

ALEXANDER KoNorr, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR To voxons moonrona'rnn, or

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

VOICE DEVICE.

This invention relates to a voiocdevice for dolls and other toys and is in the nat-ure o'f an improvement over the structure. shown and described in my pending application Serial #570,209, tiled June Q2, 1922.

. An object of the present `improvement is to reduce the required size of the device so that less space, for instance Within the body ot' a doll, Will be required to accommodate it.

A further object is to simplify and cheapen the structure and at the same time improve its quality of operation.

A further and more detailed object is to produce a device of the class described coni- 'irisino' a Weight controlled bellows to .iroes c, a

vide a sound producing element carried by the Weight, to provide a post along which the weight is adapted 'to slide for collapsing and distending the bellows and for thereby operating the sound producing element 'for producing predetermined sounds, and to provide a sound box formed as a part of the weight and `comprising as one ot its Walls a separately termed part serving also means to retain the weight connected with the bellows,

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above7 Will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements ot, parts and applications of principles, constituting the invent-ion; and the scope ot protection contemplated Will be `indicated in the appended claims.

In. the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specilication', and in which I have shown merely a preferred form ot embodiment `of the invention y Figure l is a centralvertical sectional View through a device constructed in accordance with this invention. i

Figure 2, is a transverse sectional View taken substantially upon the plane ot IIII of Fig. l, a part of the Weight structure being broken away for disclosing the arrangement of the sound box, and

Figure 3, is a detail sectional view through the Wei ght, the section being taken upon the plane of IIIMIII of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure therein illustrated the reference character L `indicates the post, while the reference character G indicates 1923. Serial No; 637,983.

The post is hollow, being made `usual] ot' thin metallic tubing, and portions as 6 o` the heads 2 and 3 serve to close the `oppositeends of the post. i f

The heads are preferably of sheet metal and may be connected with the shell in anv suitable manner, as for instance by havingr flanges 7 fitting tightly over the `end portions of the shell. 1

The upper head2 is perforated as indicated at 8 for the free passage ot' sound waves ete.

The bottom head 3 isilnperforate. The Weight G `disk shaped and hasa ccntral aperture 9 for receiving,r the` post, the diameter of the aperture being of just the proper size to permit freeinoveinelnt of the Weight along the post. At its under surface it 1s providedwith a cavity l() into which is arranged a sound producing element Il, the sound producing element being .held in a position parallel with the main loody` of the Weight, that is, so that the sound producing i 1 element extends longitudinally ina direction transverse to the length ot' the post,` and concerning this it may be here remarked, that the sound producing element is necessarily of considerably greaterlength than' thicklness, in fact that its length is greater than the overall thickness of the Weight G. Hence arrangement of the sound producing element in the horizontal position illustrated effects a material saving inthe necessary thickness of the Weight.

The sound producingelelnent is preferably held in position Within the cavityfl() by being` received` in a non-resonant carrier 12,` of corkA` rubber, or the like, which is in turn held within the cavity'by rictional engagement With the Walls ot' thecavity. `One end asl of the cavity isin communication with the bellows as Will be presently apparent, and

the structure issuch that all air passing outf- Wardly from the belloivs must pass through the sound producing element and into the chamber 14 provided at the opposite end ot the cavity, thence upwardly through an open ing 15 `formed through the material ot the weight and into the sound box 16 whence it travels through openings as 17 in the post and to the outside atn'iosphere. 'lhe passage, ot the air through the sounding device will cause the reed portion as 18 thcrcot to vibrate and thereby produce .a predetermined sound and this sound will be dependent in quality and volume upon theifreedom with which the air passes, hence upon the size, pro portions and arrangement ot the openings 1T. ln the instance illustrated the sounds produced are intended to simulate the word ina-ma, the first syllable being sounded as the weight passes the upper openings 17 and the second syllable being produced as the weight passes the lower o].ienings 17, ot the post.

The bellows as H consists ot' a tube ot cloth or other soft material the lower annular edge oi which is ixed to the casing, as t'or instance by being interengaged between the shell 1 and fiange 7, and the upper annular edge ot which is fixed to the weight as tor instance by being fitted about the annular sui-tace portion ot the weight and being held clamped thereto by a retaining ring 19.

The clamp ring 1l) consists ot the flange portion ot an inverted saucer shaped member 20 which rests upon the upper suritace oit the weight and constitutes in etlL'ect a partthereot, the bottom wall portion as 21 ot the saucer being` disposed lo cooperate with raised rib portions 2:2 ot the weight so as to close, or rather provide the upper wall portion ot, the sound box 16. It will be noted that the rib (l is relatively narrow, or in other words, projects 'from the tace of the weight Gr tor only a shortdistance, the primary consideration residing in the tact that this` chamber comparatively shallow and while affording an ample space tor the expansion ot the sound waves, does not materially :increase Athe thiol;- ness of the weight so that the said Weight may have the Vdesired length oi stroke or sliding movement along the post L and at the saine Vtime canbe housed within an outereasing ot relatively short length.

Preferably the main or body portion of; the weight is formed with an annular groove 23 at its periphery for receiving the flange 19 and the material ot' the bellows.

Preferably also this recess is made to provide a ledge or shoulder portion 2d and the flange 19 is made to provide an outstzfrnding rib 25 so that by inserting the blade of a imite or other instrument between said ledge and rib the member 20 may be readily disassembled trom the body of the weight upon occasion. Y

The rib 22 for defining the sound box 16 extends around the openings 15 and 9, the

circle defined about the o aeninfr 9 beinO rela- Y D :D

doll is tively large so that the sound box is made to increase in size, atter the manner t'or instance ott an ordinary phonograph horn, away from the opening 15, and so that the sound bor. will entirely surround the opening l) and thereby permit passage ot sound waves outwardly throiiigh the post openings` trom all radial directions.

The saucer shaped, or cover, member Q0 is provided with an opening 2G aligned with the opening i) tor tree passage ot the post, this openingl being slightly larger than the diameter ot the post so as to permit suitable passage ot air for allowing movement o'l' tln` weight past unapertured portions oit the post.

The main body oit the weight is usually made as a simple cz sting ot lead or a suitable alloy thereof, the rib 22 being formed as an :integral part ot said casing.

T he cover member QU is usually made as a slam ping ot thin sheet metal and when in position it cooperates with the body Gr first, to constitute the upper wall ot the sound box, second., to provide the opening E2G tor cooper ating with the post openings to determine the sounds produced, third, to serve as a retainingl ring` ifor holding the bellows H connected with the body Gr, and fourth, as a. neat finish and desirable weight addition to sa i d body Gr.

lt will. be understood that in operation the derden constructed as described may be placed for instance `in the body ot a doll or other toy. llfhenevcr the doll is moved 'from one pos i ion to another, as 'trom a stainling to a reclining position, the weight will slide along the post, ttor instance trom bellows distending to bellows collapsing position. lWhen the returned to standing position the weight will slide again to bellows distendingl position. lVhcnever the doll is moved to cause the weight to slide to bellows collapsingl position the air from the bellows will be torced outwardly through the sound device l1, along the leiigth ot' the sound box and through the post openings 17 causing the sound device to produce a sound according to the varying volunies ot' air passing as determined by the size, disposition, etc. ot' the post openings.

The device as thus constructed is simple and practical to nniinufaeture. It may be cheaply produced. The required length of the post tor producing any desired kind of sound may be maintained at a minimum, and the operation Awill be thoroughly efficient and satisifactory.

As many changes could be made in this con struction without departing from the scope ot the invention as defined in the following claims, it intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is zl. A sound producing device comprising a casing, a sound producing element, a weighty member movable by gravity within the casing to produce a flow of air for operating the sound producing element, said weighty mem-` ber on one side thereof having a shallow elongated sound receiving chamber the longer dimension of which is positioned parallel to the plane of said weighty member, said member having a passage for conducting sound from the sound producing element to said chamber, said chamber having a wall provided with a sound emission opening therein, and means for interrupting the emission of sound through said opening in the gravity movement of said weighty member.

A sound producing device comprising a easing, a weighty member movable by gravity in said casing for substantially the full length thereof, an elongated sound producing element mounted upon said weighty member and positioned in a plane parallel therewith, said weighty member in its gravity movement causing a How of air for operating said sound producing element, said weighty member being provided with a shallow sound receiving chamber having its longer dimension extending in a plane parallel with the plane of said member and the sound producing element and said member provided with a passage affording' communication between the sound producing element and said chamber, one wall of the sound receiving chamber having a sound emission opening therein, and means for interrupting the emission of sound through said opening in the gravity movement of "said weighty member.

3. A sound producing device comprising a casing, a bellows within said casing having a tubular flexible wall, a fixed head connected thereof having a shallow elongated sound receiving chamber, the longer dimension of said chamber and the sound producing reed extending in parallel relation to the plane of said head, one wall of said chamber having a sound emission opening therein, and means for interrupting the emission of sound through said opening in the gravity movement of the bellows head.

4. A sound producing device comprising a post, a weight supported by and mounted upon the post freely slidable therealong, an elongated sound producing element carried by the weight extending longitudinally in a direction transverse to the length ofthe post, said weight comprising an elongated sound boX associated with the sound producing element and extending also longitudinally in a direction transverse to the length of the post, the sound producing element and the sound box being arranged at opposite sides of the weight, the weight having an opening therethrough communicating between said sound producing element and said sound box, and means whereby sliding movement of the Weight along the post will produce interrupted passage of air through said sound producing element, through said opening, and through said sound box to thereby produce interrupted sounding of the sound producing element.

In testimony whereof I aliix mysignature.

ALEXANDER KONOFF. 

